Morris tribune., 1887-03-02
WORK OF CONGRESS.
urinary Of Measures Enacted by the FOrty-Ninth
Congress Just Expired.

Congress just Expired.
The following is a list of the more i'm
portant house bills which have become laws:
To forfeit the Atlantic & Pacific railroad land
grant; to increase the pension of widows and
dependent relations from So to $12 per month ;
to abolish certain fees for official services to
American vessels, ard to amend the shippino
laws the Dingley shipping bilD; to amend the
Thurman act lit requires the Pacific railroads to
pay the costs OF surveying and conveying their
land grants and subjects the lands to taxation 80
soon as the companies are entitled to them. not
withstanding the fact that they may delay Sc
lection; the increase of the naval establishment
lit passed in the first session of the Lresent
congress, and provides for the construction of
two armored vessels Of sixteen knots speed, one
cruiser of the highest practicable speed, one tor
pedO boat and one dynamite gun cruiser and for
the completion OF the monitors Puritan, Amphi-
trite MOnadnOck and Terror: to pension the
Mexican war veterans; to impose tax and reg
ulate the manufacture, sale, importation and
expectation of oleomargarine; to authorize the
transfer of the Highwood tract Chicago to the
United States for military purposes; to protect
homestead settlers within railroad limits; to
enable national banking associations to increase
their capital stock and change their name and
location; for the construction of congressional
library building; to grant a license to tow
ing vessels to carry limited number of persons
in addition to their crews: to forfeit the
New Orleans, Baton Rouge & Vicksburg rail-
road land grant; to reduce the fees on domestic
money orders for sums less than IS: to make
allowances for clerk hire to postmasters of the
first and second classes to cover the cost Of cler-
1cal labor in the money order bureau: to extend
the Immediate delivery system; to prohibit the
passage of local or special laws in the terrific
ries; making appropriations for additional bar
racks at the Southern, Northwestern and West
ern branches OF the National Soldiers home; to
provide for closing up the business of the court
OF Alabama claims; to tablsh additional life
saving stations: for the construction of addi-
t1onal light houses: extending The free delivery
system to towns of 10000 persons; to amend
tne statutes SO as to require brewers to give
bonds Tor three times their estimated monthly
tax: for allowing Fourth of July claims report
ed by the accounting officers of the treasury: to
amend an act for the muster and pay of certain
officers, 80 that any person duly commissioned
whether the commission was received OF
not. shall be considered to have been commits
stoned for the date named in the commission
to provide school Of instruction for cavalry
and light artillery; to provide for the inspection
of tobacco, cigars and snuff andsto repeal section
3151 Revised Statutes; to effect a rearrange.
ment Of grades OF officers in the adjutant gen.
erals department.; to provide for filling the
Office OF United States treasurer in the absence
of treasurer and assistant treasurer; to allow
merchandise liable to specific rates of duty tc
be transported in bond, although the merchan-
disc may not appear by the invoice to be con-
signed to the port desired: to allow underwriters
to be recognized as consignees Of merchandise
on abandoned vessels; to restrict ownership of
lands In the territories to American citizens: to
prohibit government employees from hiring or
contracting out the labor OF United States con-
victs: to amend the act prohibiting the importa-
ton and immigration OF foreigners under labor
contracts; TO regulate the Jurisdiction Of United
States circuit courts: for the adjustment Of the
land grants and the forfeiture of unearned lands
to provide for bringing suits against the govern
ment.
Forty house joint resolutions became laws,
the principal ones being as follows:
Directing the commissioner of labor to make
an investigation of convict labor: to authorize
the president to protect American fishing vessels
and American fishermen in Canada: authorizing
an Investigation Of the books accounts OF the
Pacific road